Summer Rains
by Scraggles
Summary: A night under the stars has unintended consequences for three certain l'Cie. Some light Fanille fluff ensues; no pun intended. You have been warned.


**Hi all, just another piece I felt like writing. Apologies for the shortness. It's a sequel to "Something in the Air" and "****Flowers for Vanille" in a weird, screwed up way.**

**Fanille fluff, and Vanaire if you squint.. Maybe a bit of Flight in there too, if you read it sideways. ;b**

**Edited to fix a month old error. Sorry to those of you that've already read it a few good times.  
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**Enjoy. :)**

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The tragic thing about life is that nothing is set into stone; Vanille knows this as she lies between Lightning and Fang under the night air, but she can't help but want everything to stay exactly as it is now. The sky, the clouds, Cocoon, the grass – it's perfect. Vanille hopes this moment will last forever, and even though she knows it won't, she dreams it will.

_Some things you just wish would never change. _

Vanille folds an arm behind her head, looking to the heavens for an answer. A burning streak of light sears the night sky.

"_Look, a shooting star!" a much younger version of Fang points high in the eastern skyline and says, "Hurry, Vanille, make a wish with me!"_

A sigh escapes her lips. She loses herself in the memory. The breeze quickens for a moment, chilling her, but she doesn't mind. Fang gives her fingers a light squeeze; she's still sleeping, and so is Lightning. Vanille thinks she's asleep, at least. If she wasn't, she would be watching the night sky with her, wouldn't she?

"_Close your eyes and it'll come true," she whispers, taking the red-head's hand in hers. Vanille feels her heart fluttering against her ribcage._

The sky is a canvas of dark blue, navy and indigo blending in ebbs and flows above her. She closes her eyes and makes a wish as the world fades to black. She can't recall how she got here, but she has the vague feeling she's just woken from the most wonderful dream.

"What did you wish for?" Fang asks casually, and Vanille nearly jumps out of her skin; she swears she's heard the question before.

"_Don't be silly! I can't tell you that- not now at least." _

_Fang smiles at her knowingly. Her hair ruffles lightly in the wind._

She remembers the giddy smile she wore back then, tracing circles in the older woman's palm. "Oh, nothing really," she answers. It's a lie.

"Are you sure?" Fang asks incredulously. The look in her eyes shows she isn't buying it, not one bit. "We always wish on stars together, Vanille, don't we?"

Vanille lets out a nervous laugh, though it's more of a sigh. "You know I can't tell you what I wished for, Fang. I want it to work!" She trails off, keeping her voice low, so as not to wake up the soldier behind her. How Fang had managed to keep her there, Vanille isn't sure.

Fang waves her free hand dismissively at the notion, "Oh nonsense, we've got bigger things to worry about than one little wish not coming true- like that guy over there," she says, pointing at an adamantoise in the distance. It's the first she's seen since leaving the Archlyte Steppe. "No pressure though. I'll always be here for ya."

"_**We'll always be together, I promise." **_

Vanille feels as if her heart could explode. "But Fang, how did you-"

"How did I what? I didn't say anything," Fang laughs, as if she hears the thoughts going on inside Vanille's head.

"Oh." Vanille pauses, feeling stupid.

After a few seconds, Fang lets out a yawn, turning her head; when she sees Vanille's face, her concern is quite obvious, though she covers it with a heavy exhale. She asks nonchalantly, "Why the long face, kiddo? You feelin' alright?" There is a light pause, and for a moment, Fang can't tell if Vanille is going to sit up quietly or cry; the moment of silence passes faster than she expects it to, however. She's grateful.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little worried," Vanille replies, slipping her hand out of Fang's and crossing her arms behind her head. She can see empathy in her friend's eyes, even though the only light in the sky is reflecting from Cocoon's shell; she can't remember a time when they looked more beautiful – or perhaps she can, but simply not at the moment. She's almost too distracted to hear what Fang says next.

"About what?" she wonders aloud, having the feeling that she's just asked a rhetorical question. The answer is doubtlessly right under her nose. She's been smelling rain on the air since they first arrived here on Gran Pulse, and today is no different; it's only a matter of time before the downpour begins, and when that happens, it'll be raining in sheets. She realizes this, and adds, "The weather?"

Vanille nods. "When it rains, it pours. That was one of your old sayings, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Fang agrees, "I have no idea what we're going to do about the others if we get caught in the rainy season."

Vanille nods again, and lets out a sigh. It's silent for a few moments, save for Lightning snoring _very _lightly and the whisper of the winds. Fang finds herself twirling a finger through her hair absentmindedly, watching Vanille from the corner of her eye. She's watching her as well, as one of her own fingers twirls through Lightning's locks. The soldier's hand comes down to meet hers sleepily and Vanille is startled for a moment.

She begins softly, "So, what did you wish for, Fang?"

Fang sighs, "Weren't you just telling me that wishes don't come true when you tell them?" she laughs, "but I guess it couldn't hurt; my wish isn't that important anyway."

"What is it?" Vanille asks again; her face lights up excitedly, and Fang can't help but think she's like a kid in a candy store by now. The thought brings a smile to her face.

Fang sighs lightly, opening her mouth as if to tease the girl, saying, "Oh, I dunno, something small maybe." She finishes with a wave of the hand, as if swatting an invisible fly. Lightning's untimely snore is enough to throw the entire mood off, and she finds herself giggling.

Vanille's eyes widen considerably, "Ooh, tell me, tell me!" She hisses, entirely taken with the moment, and that is enough to make it right again.

Fang is all smiles when she says, "I wished-" She stops and leans in closer, realizing that she spoke far too loudly. She continues softly, glancing at the pink haired beauty in kind, "I wished this night would last for the rest of our lives."

As soon as the breath hits Vanille's ears, she finds herself squeezing the life out of the woman, cooing happily. Fang smiles as if it's the most adorable thing in the world; it is, to her. When she can breathe again, she asks, "Is that what you wished for?"

Vanille shakes her head against her bosom, though it's more of a nuzzle than anything. "No, I wished for something simpler," she says, holding her closely.

"Then what did you wish for?" Fang asks, truly curious.

Vanille looks skyward, "I wished-" she pauses, as if it's hard to recall. She continues, "I wished that it wouldn't rain," and just like that, a deluge falls from the heavens, dousing the trio heavily, as well as rousing the sleeping soldier. And Fang laughs – of all the things in the world, Fang laughs. It's going to rain for days now, and Fang laughs. "Fang! It's not funny!"

"Of course it is, sugarplum," she says, sitting up from her spot in the grass, "because you and I both know, our wishes are impossible. The proof's right in front of our eyes, haha."

"Fang!" Vanille calls, trying to shield herself from the falling water droplets as she sits up.

Lightning grumbles beside her, doing the same.

And Fang hums to herself, "Summer rains – you can never predict them."

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**Fin, if I'm not mistaken.**

**R&R plox!  
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